


Side Effects

by nanero11



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Geraskier Fun Day (The Witcher), M/M, Potions, Tails, sick, some brief cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24819298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanero11/pseuds/nanero11
Summary: Jaskier has to drink a potion. Geralt and him wake up to quite a surprise in the morning.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 2
Kudos: 108
Collections: Geraskier Fun Day





	Side Effects

**Author's Note:**

> this was written for the prompt: mythical creatures for geraskier funday, you can find them on tumblr @geraskierfunday

“You’re telling me you don’t have _anything_ that can lower his fever?” Geralt growled. He hadn’t come all the way into town with a drooping Jaskier threatening to fall off Roach the entire time just to be told the only healer around didn’t have something to help the ill bard.

“Well,” the healer held up a small bottle, “I have this, but I must warn you, Witcher, it may have some undesirable side effects.”

Geralt cast a glance across the room at Jaskier. The bard was slumped over in the chair Geralt had placed him in haphazardly during the rush of getting to the healer. Sweat soaked through the light undershirt he wore, and his face was a deathly pale. Geralt realized, side effects or not, Jaskier needed that potion.

“I’ll take it.” Geralt handed over some coin, grabbing the bottle the healer offered up. He made his way over to Jaskier, lifting the bard’s chin and coaxing him into swallowing the dark red liquid. Jaskier made a disgusted expression as he swallowed it, but soon relaxed, the violent shivers that had taken over his body slowing into smaller trembles.

“How long does it take to work?” Geralt asked, turning back to the healer.

“A few hours. It’ll bring down the fever gradually, so I suggest you find a place where he can rest comfortably until then.”

The Witcher grunted in response, scooping Jaskier up so he could go find the town’s inn. Jaskier weakly wrapped his arms around Geralt’s neck, mumbling something incomprehensible, to which Geralt shushed him, assuring the bard he’d have a bed to sleep in soon enough.

After Geralt got them into their room, he laid Jaskier down in the bed and got to work unbuttoning and peeling the sopping shirt over the bard’s head and then tugging his boots and pants off, leaving Jaskier trembling in his undergarments, as the cool air met his damp, bare skin. Geralt pulled the covers up around Jaskier, spreading a few extra blankets over the bard, who gratefully clutched at them, letting out a small moan as he sunk into the mattress.

Geralt made sure the bard was sufficiently tucked in, before pushing Jaskier’s hair off his sticky forehead, feeling relieved that the bard’s temperature did in fact seem to be cooling down, even if it was just a little. Then, the Witcher made himself ready for bed as well, stripping down to his undergarments and slipping under the blankets. Jaskier immediately curled towards him, and Geralt buried his nose into the bard’s hair, taking comfort in the scent of lavender and pine, even as it was covered up with a thick layer of salt.

“Are you cold?”

The bard bobbed his head up and down, the ends of his hair tickling Geralt’s chin, answering yes, even though his skin was burning hot against the Witcher’s. Geralt slid his arm underneath Jaskier, gripping the bard’s hip, so he could pull him closer into his chest. Jaskier sighed, reveling in the warmth Geralt provided, splaying his hands across the Witcher’s chest and tangling their legs together as he settled against him.

Geralt stayed awake for some time after Jaskier got comfortable, listening to the bard’s breathing and heartbeat slow as he fell asleep. Hopefully in the morning Jaskier would be back to normal and they could get on their way again.

***

Jaskier woke up to the sun burning against his eyelids. He let out a small groan, turning his face into Geralt’s arm, and prepared to fall back asleep again because his body was _aching_ with what he supposed was left over soreness from the sickness.

But right on the verge of unconsciousness, he noticed a strange, smooth sensation, a weird lump almost, in between his legs. He jolted upwards, slamming a hand down into Geralt’s stomach, who awoke with an _oof_ , springing up in bed, eyes flicking open to survey the room for whatever danger had risen him from his rest. His gaze eventually landed on Jaskier, who was squirming in bed next to him, eyes wide, and mouth hanging open, as he violently pointed towards the sheets.

“Snake,” the bard gulped out, “There’s a _snake_ in our bed.”

Geralt could feel his eyebrows shoot up, and he immediately tossed the covers aside, spotting the scaly creature in question, lying right between Jaskier’s legs. The Witcher grabbed it and yanked hard, fully intending to fling it across the room, but was stopped by the bard letting out a cry.

He looked up at Jaskier in concern, worried that the snake may have latched its fangs down into the bard somewhere and Jaskier just brought his hands down to clasp over Geralt’s letting out a meek, “Please _,_ _don’t_ do that again.”

Jaskier straightened up, attempting to look over his shoulder, and Geralt followed the bard’s gaze, his jaw going slack with what he saw, because apparently the scaly thing in his hands wasn’t a snake at all, but rather a _tail_.

“What the fuck.” He squinted at it, trying to make sense of what was going on, because there was no way in hell this was possible.

The skin at Jaskier’s lower spine faded into red scales, which made up the thick base of the tail that then trailed down to a thin point, ending just past the middle of Jaskier’s calves. Geralt released his grip on it, shaking the bard’s hands off his, and brought his fingers up to brush across the area where the tail connected to normal skin. Jaskier let out a gasp, arching his back as Geralt made contact, and brought a slightly trembling hand up to rest on Geralt’s shoulder.

“What’s going on?” Jaskier looked Geralt right in the eye, and the Witcher couldn’t help but notice that when the light creeping in the window flashed upon Jaskier’s eyes in just the right way they seemed to glow red. “Wha—why? _How?_ Geralt, how is this happening?”

Only one thought was going through Geralt’s mind right then: _undesirable side effects_. He cursed at himself for not even thinking to ask what those side effects could possibly be. And now he has a worried bard with a tail, and who knows what else, on his hands.

“We need to go back to the healer,” Geralt made to get off the bed to get ready to leave, but was tugged back down by Jaskier.

“Wait, are you saying this has something to do with the medicine you gave me?”

Geralt turned his head to the side, averting his gaze as he let out a grunt, because how was he supposed to explain he had ignored the logistics of the potion all because he had selfishly wanted Jaskier to get better quicker. Because he couldn’t stand seeing the bard in such a helpless and lethargic state. Because he hadn’t wanted Jaskier to be suffering any longer than he had to.

“Geralt,” Jaskier sighed, placing his palm on Geralt’s cheek, forcing the Witcher to look at him, “I’m…not mad. I just need to know, so we can fix this.”

“The healer did say there might be some…side effects.”

“And you didn’t ask what those might be?”

“I—at the time I—Jaskier, you _needed_ that potion,” Geralt could feel himself growing defensive as he was put on the spot, knowing that, in part, he was in the wrong.

Jaskier narrowed his eyes at the Witcher’s snippy tone and crossed his arms. “So you just chose to conveniently ignore the fact that _this_ —” Jaskier grabbed the tail, and it flicked back and forth in his grip, “—could happen and made me drink it anyways?”

“You were sick. What was I supposed to do?” Geralt growled, his hands clenching the bedsheets into his fists.

“It’s not my fault I got sick. It was you who said we didn’t have any time to spare for rest and had us traveling for days on end, even through the rain, with no breaks. Well, sorry I just can’t keep up with you.”

At that, Geralt drew his eyebrows together, only now beginning to piece together all the signs of Jaskier’s fatigue. The times when Jaskier would fall silent, even though he usually always had something to say. The times when Jaskier would complain so much that Geralt was always the one getting to ride Roach, even though he had told the Witcher on several previous occasions he preferred walking. The times when he came back from hunting to find the bard already asleep, even though he hadn’t eaten yet. “Jaskier, you could’ve just said you needed rest. We would’ve stopped.”

Jaskier huffed and got out of bed, standing with his back to Geralt. The Witcher hesitated for a moment, before reaching out to take Jaskier’s hand gently in his.

“You don’t have to prove that you can ‘keep up with’ me. Everyone has limits.”

Jaskier let out a long exhale, sinking back down onto the bed, “I know, I just, I didn’t want to slow you down.”

“If slowing down means you not pushing yourself so hard you get sick, then slowing down is what we’ll do.”

The corners of Jaskier’s lips twitched up in a small smile, and he brought Geralt’s hand up to his mouth, softly kissing the Witcher’s knuckles, “Sorry, Love...I didn’t mean to get upset, it’s just, this whole situation is…a bit strange, to say the least.”

Geralt snorted in agreement, side eyeing the tail as it swished lazily back and forth across the mattress. He wondered if Jaskier even knew he was moving it, or if it had a mind of its own.

“Well, on the bright side, I do feel much better, but I supposed we should still go visit that healer.” And with that, Jaskier was back on his feet and digging through his bag, looking for a fresh change of clothes.

As Geralt got dressed he continued to stare at the tail while a grunting Jaskier attempted to shove it down one of his pant’s legs. The bard gave Geralt an exasperated look, and Geralt just gave a small shrug, trying not to laugh, which he knew would only aggravate Jaskier more.

“This isn’t going to fit.” Jaskier finally gave up, letting the tail slide out of the confines of his pants, then pulled them up as far as they could with the tail impeding them.

“Then leave it out. I’ll give you my cloak.” He dug it out of his bag and wrapped it over Jaskier’s shoulders, fastening the clip in the front. “It’ll cover it enough to get us to the healer.”

Jaskier gave a little twirl, letting the cloak swirl around him, flashing Geralt a bright smile. The Witcher just rolled his eyes at Jaskier’s antics, but he couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from twitching up into an endearing expression.

“Come on.” Geralt led the way out the door and to the healer, glancing at Jaskier every now and then just to make sure the tail hadn’t poked its way out from underneath the cloak at some point during the walk.

The healer fixed them with a questioning stare when they entered her shop. “I wasn’t expecting you two back,” she looked Jaskier up and down, “and I can see that you’re in better spirits, so what can I help you with today?”

“Hm, I don’t know, maybe this!” In a grand motion, Jaskier flung the cloak open, letting the tail flick out into the open. The healer gave Jaskier an unamused look, and Geralt just groaned as Jaskier put on his show.

“And what I am supposed to do with that?”

Jaskier sputtered at her response, “What are you supposed to do about it? It was _your_ potion that gave it to me, so reverse it or something.”

The healer crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap, simply stating, “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Geralt frowned.

She sighed, tapping her fingers on her thighs, “My best guess is that it’s temporary, but I did give you fair warning, Witcher.”

“You never told him I’d end up with a tail,” Jaskier crossed his arms, shooting her a defiant glare.

“He never asked.”

From the way Jaskier was grimacing, Geralt could tell he was about to go off, so he quickly interjected, “Then what should we do?”

The healer turned her attention back to Geralt, a thoughtful expression on her face, before getting up and surveying her many rows of potions. She grazed her fingers across a few of the bottles, then picked one up and held it out towards Jaskier. “Here. This should hide the tail from view, but it’ll still be there.”

The bard took it from her, holding it between two of his fingers as he eyed it cautiously. “If I drink this it isn’t going to make me grow a third arm or something, right?”

“No,” she scoffed, sitting back down in her chair.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Jaskier popped the lid off the bottle and downed it, sticking his tongue out at the flavor. “You should really put more effort into making these taste better.”

Again, the healer sighed, but Geralt ignored her, watching the bard as within seconds the tail disappeared from sight, the slight reddish tint in Jaskier’s eyes fading along with it.

Jaskier swung his head back and forth, looking for the tail. “Huh, it actually worked.”

“Of course it did,” The healer flicked her hand at them, dismissing them, so they took their leave.

Once they were out of the shop, Geralt narrowed his eyes at a poking sensation on his butt. He jerked his head down, finding that nothing was actually there, then glanced up at Jaskier who was smirking.

“Jaskier,” Geralt hissed, a warning in his voice.

"I think I could get used to having a tail," Jaskier laughed and winked at the Witcher as the poking continued.

Geralt swatted at the air until he made contact with the tail, pushing it away. And gods did he hope that this really was temporary because from the look on Jaskier’s face he knew the bard had already planned a thousand new ways to use his tail.

**Author's Note:**

> and yes this counts as mythical creatures becuz jaskier's tail is based off a dragon's, ok so actually maybe it doesn't really but i just really wanted to find an excuse to give him tail lol


End file.
